This invention pertains to the art of filters and strainers and more particularly to fluid filter arrangements. As used hereinafter, filter generally refers to any media used for removing particulate matter from a fluid. Some of these mediums are commonly referred to as filters while others are referred to as strainers; the difference between them is a matter of degree as to porosity and the size of the particles which will be prevented from passing therethrough. As used herein, filter is deemed to include both filters and strainers.
The invention is particularly applicable to a liquid filter which receives a filter or strainer element therein and will be described with particular reference thereto; however, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and may be employed in other environments.
While any number of types and styles of filter structures of this general type have been previously developed, they all have had certain problems which created difficulty in effectively implementing their use in the field. For example, some have been of the type generally termed as inline filters. In such arrangements, a filter body includes a fluid inlet passage at one end and a fluid outlet passage at the other end with a fluid filter element disposed in a fluid chamber defined between the inlet and outlet. Typically, such filters include means for allowing them to be disassembled in order to gain access to the fluid chamber for purposes of changing or cleaning the filter element. However, disassembly of such prior structures have required that virtually the entire filter structure may be removed from an installation. When such removal is required, additional time for the maintenance operation is necessitated. Furthermore, these structures require that the overall installation be undesirably disturbed.
Other types of filter arrangements have also been previously developed and one of these may be generally referred to as a T-type filter. In such a filter, the filter element is received in a chamber disposed generally normal to the filter inlet and outlet passages. Typically, the chamber includes an end cap releasably received thereover in order to retain the filter element in the chamber. While this type of prior structure eliminates the problem of having to remove the entire filter structure from an installation for servicing, they do have other disadvantages. For example, once this type of filter arrangement has been installed into practical application and it becomes necessary to gain access to the chamber for servicing the filter element, efficient disassembly was often extremely difficult due to the number of individual components such as bonnets, bonnet nuts, sealing rings, sealing washers and the like involved.
Inasmuch as filter installation are oftentimes located in out of the way places which are difficult for service personnel access, it is very easy to lose one or more of the components during the disassembly or reassembly process. Such losses necessitate additional maintenance and repair time which could be otherwise effectively utilized. In addition, most prior structures of the T-filter type were designed for use with a particular type of filter element or a particular type of strainer element. Thus, it has been necessary to purchase and/or stock separate filter structures and/or elements depending upon the particular degree of filtering required for the fluid being processed. Such requirements have necessitated increased inventories with resultant increased costs.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved structure which overcomes all of the above referred to problems and others and provides a new fluid filter which is relatively simple in design, employs a minimum of separate component parts, may be readily employed in any number of different fluid environments including corrosive, abrasive, high temperature and low temperature environments, and which is adapted for use with different types of filters.